


acting out our old parts

by Nervouslaughter508



Series: things don't always make it out [1]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Arguing, Domestic Disputes, Established Relationship, Idiots in Love, Jealousy, M/M, Semi-Unhealthy Relationship, but things get solved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-07-19 12:03:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19973758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nervouslaughter508/pseuds/Nervouslaughter508
Summary: Tony and Stephens's relationship had always been far from perfect. Stephen never wanted to confront his feelings, and Tony never acknowledged his. They were a disaster couple. Stephen loved him though, and Tony loved him, but sometimes it was easier to admit, yeah, they were falling apart, have been falling apart ever since they decided to go with it.or: A brief reflection on one loving, breaking relationship.





	acting out our old parts

Tony and Stephens's relationship had always been far from perfect. Stephen never wanted to confront his feelings, and Tony never acknowledged his. They were a disaster couple. Stephen loved him though, and Tony loved him, but sometimes it was easier to admit, yeah, they were falling apart, have been falling apart ever since they decided to go with it. 

There were moments were things like that were far from their minds. Memories of Tony and Stephen sitting on the balcony table together in the morning, Stephen reading a newspaper with a cup of coffee, smoke coming from his fist, cigarette being tapped idly against his thumb. Tony reads on his tablet, stealing sips from Stephens' mug. He’s dressed in one of Stephens’ shirts only, and the latter will never admit how much he loves Tony in his clothes. Its quiet, the sky is getting brighter slowly, and that's how they like it. 

And then there are memories of Stephen wrinkling his nose at Tony, and Tony scoffing and turning away from the bed. Times when Tony stands outside at night, water dripping down his nose and eyelashes, pleading with Stephen in the rain “ _Please believe me”_ and Stephen smiles and relents and Tony and him kiss and then he comes in the house, dripping wet (but he turns the hose off first). 

Tonys talking to a guy when they get invited to Carol and Rhodeys' house for a dinner party, and Stephen wishes he could teleport him away, the guy or Tony. When Tony stands on his tippy toes to whisper in his ear, Stephen wants to strangle somebody. That night escalates in a shouting match in the car, in the living room, bathroom, and ends with them naked in the bed, still pissed but willing to shut up. 

“Are you still mad?” Tony asks the next morning, and Stephen dumps the rest of the Raisin Brain down into Tony’s bowl and stomps off. He’s angry at work, angry when Tony eats dinner in his lab, and angry when Tony has the nerve to ask the same question. 

And two days later they’re dancing together to Like A Virgin together in the kitchen, Tony singing into a wooden spoon and Stephen pretending to play the synth. They switch, and also dance, Stephen letting Tony try to spin him around. It doesn’t work because Stephen is very tall and Tony is very small, they smack heads and start kissing, and it ends with them naked in the bed, no longer upset but not willing to talk about it. That's as good as things get for them. 

One night, Stephen wipes Tonys concealer before dinner with his parents and his sister and her family. Tony wears conclear to cover up his eye bags, and Stephen just thought it looked a little- messed up. He’s brushing his teeth, Tony’s trying to finish and Stephen wets some toilet paper and dabs under his eye a little. He didn’t want Tony to look bad. This dinner was important. The rest of the night, Tony disregards the conclear, not caring. It peels and flakes under the light, because after Stephen pulled his stunt of trying to control how he looks, Tony wets his fingers and spreads it thickly in random directions. It looks weird, and Stephen is ashamed. Tony smirks when Stephen shifts uncomfortably. His sister looks worried, his mother looks confused and his father keeps his eyes fixed on his food. 

Tony is picking up trash after, also ashamed of how petty he is. He sometimes wishes he wasn’t so unreasonable and headstrong. As he's throwing it away he hears voices and eavesdrops Stephen talking to his parents outside. 

“I’m sorry.”

“Its fine.” 

“He’s not always like this.” 

“You have things to figure out.” 

Later, Tony flings a book at him in the living room. “I’m sorry, am I an embarrassment? Not always like this?” 

“Yeah, actually, you are! I don’t think you know when to _stop_ ,” Stephen snaps, dodging the book. It sails to the wall.

Tony recoils. “Neither do you.” 

“God, I can’t do anything without having to add the ‘you’ factor. What if he does this? Or that?” Stephen snarls. “You are such a child.” 

Tony refuses to cry and he sticks his chin out defiantly. “Well, since I ruin everything, why don’t you just go?” He points at the door. “You think I need you? I don’t need your fucking ego and judgy ass behavior.” 

Stephen just scoffs. “You make me sick.” 

There's a dull silence. Tony doesn’t hear his apologies. All he hears his that sentence. 

He looks around, remembering little fights that have happened all around the room. 

_“Don’t touch me!”_

_“...can’t be serious...”_

_“No offense or anything but…”_

_“Stop pretending you want me to stay.”_

_“... ex-boyfriend is too nice…”_

_“...love me…”_

_“You’re being childish.”_

Despite all the fights, they’ve always said sorry, and meant it every damn time. 

And they’re still here. Tony realizes that there's nothing wrong with the relationship, it's normal to feel insecure or lost at times.

Sometimes it takes a mental breakdown or fight to really see the light in things. 

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed, and feeback is useful! based off my favorite song ever, 20 points to someone who gets it


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